If you're out at night and look up (which you certainly should), and see a light in the distance, this helpful chart from The League of Lost Causes will help you determine whether you're looking at a planet, a star, a satellite, or something else.

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It's not perfect, and it doesn't include every possibility, but it is tongue in cheek, funny, and largely accurate. One quick glance and you'll be able to tell if you just saw a meteor, an aircraft, a masthead light in the distance, a planet, or—if your retinas are burning—the sun.